Betrayal
by Atemusluckygal
Summary: Serenity was murdered; Yami was found at the scene of the crime. Did Yami really murder her, or has Joey gone insane in his accusations? Character deaths, angst, gore, all that good stuff. Reposted because it didn't get enough attention the first time.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Okay, so I'm having inspiration problems with my other main fic, White Tiger, so I've been writing oneshots and twoshots to keep my creative process going.

And I know this is pretty dark compared to my other fics. Decided to go with something new. :) Enjoy!

* * *

Yami Yugi had never been so insulted in his life. Nor had he felt so terrified. But he couldn't show that. Not to him.

He had to keep his fearless façade, no matter what. The man standing before him would clearly show no mercy; he would not appear vulnerable to him, lest he be gone and done for within an instant of his guard being let down.

An unseen hatred and bitter disgust hung in the cold, dark air of the black void which was once the Game Shop living room. Faint, disgruntled whispering of eternally-bound souls could be heard if you strained your ears. The dark void's surroundings seemed to be ever-shifting – not holding shape for more than a second.

Yami had been here many times before, but that didn't make each time less discomforting than the next. Especially since each time this place was brought upon in existence, it claimed at least one soul before disappearing again. And he feared this time would be no different.

The rotting stench of a decaying carcass wafted up the two men's nostrils, causing the most bitter nausea one could feel. And to one man, it was a constant reminder of wrongness in the world, of a cruel twist of fate. An innocent was murdered – a slaughter so brutal and ruthless, something in the back of this man's mind questioned if the other was even capable of such a heartless kill. But the darkness residing inside him insisted that any doubts would cause his concentration and drive to go wayward.

_Look at that bastard, with that smug look on his face,_ hissed the voice in the man's head. _You're just going to let him stand there like a fool after what he did to your sister…?_

The man let out an unsatisfied grunt at the mention of his lost loved one. Angry tears threatened to fall, but he mentally composed himself just in time to push them to the back of his inner conscience. He couldn't show tears. Not to him.

* * *

-Flashback-

_The ominous feeling of dread crept up on him early, but he ignored it for the time being. He continued to laugh with his friends Tristan, Tea, and Yugi, as they walked back to the Game Shop after spending a fun night on the town together. Yami would have been among them; instead he kindly offered to keep Joey's sister, Serenity, company while the gang went out together. Joey didn't like for his sister to be alone, and thanked Yami immensely before they left._

_Yugi, resembling his darker counterpart's kindness, offered to walk Tea and Tristan home while Joey went to pick up his sister. The group hugged their goodbyes to Joey as they separated. Being in a jolly mood, Joey strolled happily down the sidewalk, excited to see his sister and his other companion who missed out on all the fun just to watch over her._

_He never imagined that his whole world was taken from him, and he didn't know it yet. In fact, it didn't even register right away as he saw it right in front of him._

_Yami was nowhere to be found, but Serenity was right where he could see her: a lifeless heap on the floor, between the couch and the coffee table. Staining her blouse, jeans, arms, hair, face, and the carpet beneath her was her crimson blood. It looked as though someone had taken a switchblade and relentlessly cut her to pieces. Her eyes and her mouth was left wide open, indicating that she died frightened for her life, of which was taken from her soon after. The offending weapon, the switchblade of which he had imagined it would have been, was lying not two feet from the motionless form, soaked in the victim's blood. She died frightened, and painfully tortured._

_Everything in Joey's system froze on the sight like a malfunctioning computer. He couldn't think of what to do but run to her side, as if hoping that she was still alive._

"_Serenity…" Joey whispered, holding the limp form in his arms that was once his beloved sister. "Oh God…why…"_

_Warm tears had started flooding his face, but he couldn't feel them; all his senses could register was the cold skin of his sister's arms and the pale look of despair on her face._

_Suddenly he felt an inner fiery rage build up inside him. "Who…did this…" he hissed to his sister, though he knew she couldn't answer him._

_An abrupt knock on the door made him jump slightly, nearly scaring the daylights out of him. 'It must be Yugi returning after walking Tea and Tristan home', Joey thought._

"_Yugi! Yugi, are you in there? I've come back to pick up my socks, I think I might have left them here last night by mistake!"_

'_Or not.'_

_Joey gingerly laid Serenity's body back down on the floor and answered the door to find a usual chipper young man with wild white hair and an innocent expression on his face. However, Bakura's face seemed to fall upon seeing Joey's disheartened appearance, not to mention his clothes covered in blood._

"_Joey! Good to see you! Uh… what seems to be the matter? And why in literally 'bloody hell' are you covered in…well…blood?"_

_Joey's troubled eyes bore into Bakura's ebony orbs as he struggled for the words. "Bakura…" he began, beginning to shake and feel tears line up on the brims of his eyes again. "Someone…murdered my sister. Serenity."_

_Bakura's face went from concerned to absolutely shocked. "Oh my! How horrible, how horrible indeed!"_

"_Yeah, and I'm gonna find that sorry motherfucker and make sure he pays for his crime."_

"_Oh Joey, I'm dreadfully sorry about what happened! I am, really! Perhaps there is something I could do to help?"_

_Joey sadly shook his head. "Nah, I don't mean to involve you in this. There's nothing that can be done."_

_But Bakura looked determined. "I quite think there is, Joey." To Joey's surprise, Bakura reached under his off-white sweater and detached the Millennium Ring from his neck. He took one of Joey's shaky hands and gently placed the golden artifact in his hands. "You may borrow this. It will give you the answers you need."_

_Usually Joey would have certainly declined such an offer and returned it to him immediately, but something stopped him. The pure, raw energy waves coursing through his body at the mere touch of the Ring. Joey looked up from the Ring to ask questions, but the white-haired teen was nowhere to be found. His sister's corpse in the living room still on his mind, he reluctantly walked back into the shop, cautiously carrying the ancient treasure in his hands._

_Serenity's body was still there, untouched from where he left her. He once again glanced at the Millennium Ring, still thinking about what Bakura said. Another familiar voice, resounding from the foot of the stairs leading from the shop up to the living room, snapped him out of his reverie._

"_Joey?"_

_At that moment, Joey knew who the murderer was._

-End Flashback-

* * *

"Yami, never in my life would I have imagined you would sink this low. A savior of the world, a once great king of Egypt, and a friend to us all… reduced to a cold-blooded murderer. You are going to pay _dearly_ for your crime, and it starts right here, right now-"

"Joey, please," Yami begged his blonde companion, "your mind is clouded! I would never in a million years murder your sister! I'm your _best friend_ for Ra's sake!"

"Yeah? Well some best friend you are! You're nothing but a pathetic asshole, and pure evil, too! Only the evil murder the innocent."

Yami fought every morsel of his inner being to stay levelheaded and not angry towards his friend. He sensed something… something that was tampering with Joey's mind. An outside force. His eyes... they were so…cold, and vengeful. Full of malice and hatred. Nothing coming even close to the warm, shimmery hazel-colored eyes that were associated with his bright spirit. Everything of the like seemed distant now.

"Joey!" he called out, "you must listen to reason! What incentive would I have to kill your sister? Why would I do it? Tell me!"

Joey crossed his arms impatiently. "You tell _me_; you're the one that tortured her to death."

Yami's fists clenched tightly. Brainwashed or not, Joey was one of the most stubborn men he knew. And right now, it wasn't helping.

"And don't think I don't know that it's you!" Joey added, venom tainting each word. He reached under his t-shirt and pulled the Millennium Ring into view. "I used to think this stuff was dangerous and evil, but this Millennium Ring opened my eyes to the truth. The truth is that you can't trust anyone, not even your own goddamn best friend!"

The pharaoh's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the Ring in Joey's possession. "Oh Ra… Joey! Put that down, it's messing with your head!" he shouted. "Please, that thing is nothing but pure evil!"

Joey had just about lost his temper; veins were bulging from his face against the trickles of sweat running down the blonde's head. "THAT'S IT! NO MURDERER IS GONNA TELL JOEY WHEELER WHAT TO DO! SHADOW GAME THIS INSTANT! _NOW_!"

"What? Joey, no! Don't do this! You don't know what you're doing at all! Please, just stop!" Plea after plea from the pharaoh did no good. Anger, hate, rage, sadness, and betrayal fueled his energy source, and he was charging up quickly. The pharaoh just stood his ground, though not even attempting to gather his energy to counter.

"What's the matter? Afraid to fight back? Afraid to face up to what you've done?"

Yami held his stance, expression unchanging. "I won't fight you, Joey."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I won't. You're my friend, and I won't fight a friend."

"Suit yourself! Either way, you'll get what you deserve!"

"Joey, please…"

"PREPARE TO DIE!"

Yami barely got a chance to blink before the blast of energy, from Joey's entire dark being, hit him full force in the chest, knocking him off his feet and forcing him to tumble and roll over a few times. The devastating blow left him completely powerless; it even seemed his life energy was leaving him at an alarming rate, even well after the attack had struck him. He did not have nearly enough energy to get back on his feet, so he lied there, panting heavily, trying to stay conscious.

Within seconds, Joey was standing over his weak form, victoriously from his successful onslaught. Yami instantly felt cold, but strong, fingers wrap around his throat and clench it tightly, blocking his air passageway completely as the blonde straddled his small frame. Joey grabbed Yami's throat with both hands, channeled all his negative energy towards his hands, and squeezed with all his might. Even after he was sure he had broken his neck, he wouldn't release his vice grip.

Specks of light and color blended into the pharaoh's vision before, after what seemed like hours, everything went black.

* * *

Okay, if I don't start getting reviews, I'll have to update the summary and spoil stuff. Reeaaad and reviewww and tell me that readers are still alive out there! I'm actually almost proud of this one.


	2. Chapter 2

Though Joey was sure in his mind that Yami was the culprit – and by killing him, he would be saving others from the same cruel fate – a wave of guilt washed over him, giving him incessant chills throughout his body, and a slight head-rush to go along with it.

You can't quite compare _anything_ to the feeling you get after having committed murder.

The blonde slowly stepped off of the pharaoh's lifeless body with wobbly legs. He grimaced at the sight of the victim's neck – slightly crooked and bruised purple. Despite having been strangled to death, his face was strangely peaceful, with his eyes closed – much unlike the look upon his sister's face.

As he continued to stare at his best friend's body, he barely – if at all – noticed the dark walls of the Shadow Realm dissipating and transforming back to the familiar living room. Also restored was the carpet under his feet – blood stains and all.

Joey's hands seemed to have a mind of their own; he found himself physically incapable of stopping them from shaking. He brought them up to look at them, as they seemed to taunt him for his sinful act. He had just murdered his best friend. Killer or not, he was a human being, and his friend… and he couldn't bring him back.

But why would he want to bring the pharaoh back anyhow? The guy got what he deserved. And he didn't even fight back; he just stood there, like a fool.

_Just stood there, like a fool…_

_You're just going to let him stand there like a fool…after what he did to your sister…?_

The painful words echoed in his head. Joey couldn't remember when that strange voice had started coaxing him like that, and it was scaring him. The past few minutes, he had been too preoccupied for his lust for power and revenge against the pharaoh; the voice almost seemed to guide him…

He plopped down on the couch and stared at the two lifeless bodies on the living room floor. His sister on his right: mangled and bloody. The thing that started this whole mess.

On his left: the almighty pharaoh and King of Games. His best friend, resting seemingly peacefully with a horribly bruised and broken neck. The one that refused to fight back. His own victim.

The blonde head dropped into his trembling hands. "Oh God…what have I done…"

"Yami, I'm home! Did Joey and Serenity leave yet?"

Joey nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing Yugi's cheery voice coming through the door downstairs. He also heard the voices of two others in a side conversation: Tea and Tristan. But what were they doing here? Didn't Yugi walk them home?

It wasn't long before soft thumping of footsteps could be heard as the trio ascended up the stairs to the entrance of the living room. Joey could swear his heart was beating harder and louder. He froze on the spot, not knowing whether to stop them and divert them elsewhere, or run. His feet seemed to be glued to the floor. His panicking heart sped faster at his inability to move.

The short teen's spiky hair came into view as his voice was heard yet again. "I thought that instead of us just going home, we could have a movie night-"

Yugi stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide as dinner plates. Seeing Joey, standing in his living room, with Serenity's and Yami's lifeless corpses on the floor, was more than a sight to see. His eyes immediately fell upon the heap of his yami on the teal carpet. Tea and Tristan followed close behind, confused about their friend's strange behavior until they saw it for themselves. Tea's mouth dropped open in horror. Tristan recoiled slightly at the repulsive smell. Three pairs of eyes looked at Joey, imploring for answers.

"Yami…" came Yugi's trembling voice. Joey's eyes were glued to the floor. Yugi suddenly rushed to his dark half's side, holding the limp form in his arms before returning his gaze on the blonde. "What happened here?!"

"Yugi…guys…" Joey could hardly find his voice. Yugi tried again, hoping for an answer. Anything.

"Who did this to them?"

"I…well…" Joey was a murderer, a fact that he now had to live with for the rest of his life, but that didn't make him a liar. "Yugi, I… I killed Yami."

The dreadful silence lingering after his words seemed louder than any physical sound could produce. No one could even gasp, only internally.

"But…Joey…why?"

Joey's mind was too numb to determine whose shaky voice broke the silence. He answered the question to everyone. The darkness inside him started to take over again, renewing new confidence and malice.

He pointed a rigid finger at his sister's body. "Why? I'll tell you why. You see that? Do you see my dead sister on the floor there? Guess who did it? That's right – this is all _Yami's_ doing. He's a cold-blooded killer, and he got what he deserved."

All of his friends turned to him at once, appalled at his bitter accusations. Yugi, however, would not sit there, his dark half's dead corpse in his arms, and take this.

Gingerly laying Yami back down, he stood and faced the blonde, a disgusted look on his childlike face. "Joey!" he shouted. "How could you?! How could you do this to him, you _know_ he's not evil! He would _never_ do something like that to Serenity!" Tears freely cascaded down his face, as his voice became increasingly croaky and wobbly. As long as Joey and Yugi had been best friends, despite being constantly bullied and tormented, Joey couldn't recall ever seeing Yugi so broken and angry.

A fifth voice entered the room, and everyone went still.

_How could he? HOW COULD HE? Easily, my young friends! A little manipulation with his emotions… that was all I had to do and he took care of the rest!_

Joey's heart stopped for a second. That voice sounded familiar… it was the same voice urging him in his head to take revenge on Yami. However, it didn't seem as… ghostly. It sounded more human. Still, it had the same wickedness as the voice in Joey's conscience.

Dark clouds surrounded the teenagers; before they knew it, they were in the Shadow Realm. A place all too familiar for the young adventurers; dark and unpleasant memories were associated with this world. A mysterious figure emerged from one of the malleable walls of the dark void. Within locks of unkempt white hair, a pair of menacing red eyes glowed with utmost satisfaction. The gang gasped in unison as the spirit of the Millennium Ring grinned in the most evil way. The air became cold and thin in his presence – just the way he liked it.

"Bakura!" Tristan yelled, equally as astounded as everyone else in the room.

"Hello, my young friends," he spiritedly replied. "Behold this glorious day, when the almighty King of Egypt has fallen!"

"So you're the one that manipulated me into killing Yami!" Joey exclaimed. He looked down at the Millennium Ring and sighed. "I don't think taking this thing from you was such a good idea."

Bakura smirked – a sign that never sported good news. "Well of _course_ it wasn't, silly human… after all, anything that takes advantage of your emotions and encourages you to kill your best friend is bad news, right?"

Anger and hatred fired up in Joey's core. "Shut up. I'm not proud of what I did," he growled through clenched teeth. "But he killed my sister… I had to punish him somehow…nobody gets away with murdering someone I love and Yami is no exception."

"And that is where you're wrong."

Joey's eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed in confusion. "What? How?"

Bakura cackled maniacally, sending chills down everyone's spine. "You are such a naïve boy. Can't you see that it was I who killed your sister, and not the pharaoh of whom you claim to have done it? Oh wait, but you couldn't. All you could see and feel was your anger, hatred, and lust for revenge… the Ring brought all of that out of you – enabling you to destroy him for me. It was a most brilliant plan!"

Joey's jaw dropped to the floor. "He was… innocent?"

A wave of nauseating shame swept over him like a tsunami raging over a small row boat. He dared not glance back at his friend's dead body; he couldn't take much more than this. He was a broken man, a slayer of the innocent – the very thing he had accused Yami of. And he felt like one. _'Oh God…make the pain stop…'_

Bakura sneered at the blonde's reaction. "Oh please! Of course he was innocent! The pure soul of the pharaoh would never slaughter an innocent girl. I, however, am a different story…"

Suddenly, it dawned on him. Bakura had mentioned it before, but now he was fully noticing the weight of those words. "_You_ killed Serenity."

The white-haired criminal continued to explain, ignoring the icy glare from the blonde. "I have lived for five millennia as an ancient spirit with one goal in mind: destroy the pharaoh and obtain his powers. However, I can't do much as a spirit you know; if I killed the pharaoh, the Egyptian Gods would simply banish me to oblivion. So I had to somehow get someone else to do it for me… and I thought, why not you, Joey? You are in close proximity to the pharaoh, and you had someone valuable in your life who I could easily take from you, and shift the blame. I wanted to unlock your inner hatred, to see what you were capable of…" He glanced at Yami's crippled heap on the floor, "and it pleases me to see it with my very own eyes."

Joey clenched his fists so tightly he almost cut his palms with his fingernails. He wanted nothing more than to shove the knife through this man's evil heart, and watch him die slowly and painfully in a pool of his own blood.

'_No, I've already done enough damage. Enough of this shit!'_

He suddenly reached up his shirt with his hand and yanked the Millennium Ring out from under, snapping the flimsy string that held it. He grasped it firmly in his hand, feeling the evil energies course through his body like blood. Fury burned inside him as hot as the blade of his favorite warrior – the Flame Swordsman. He would avenge them: his sister and his best friend, both dead because of him.

Bakura somehow sensed his deep residing anger, and laughed. His cackling was full, content and jovial, as he was the only one expressing those sorts of feelings. In fact, he was so occupied in his laughing fit; he hadn't noticed the blonde coming at him, knife at the ready. The Millennium Ring was carelessly tossed to the floor.

Within seconds, both were on the ground tumbling left and right, rolling over each other. The knife barely missed having contact with either of them several times. Finally, Bakura ended up on top, holding Joey's wrist with the knife a safe distance away, with the other hand at his throat, strangling him.

"Once I am done with you," Bakura whispered in his hoarse voice, "the pharaoh's powers will be mine and your precious friends will be at my mercy until their deaths!"

Joey thought he heard worried shouts from his friends, but they sounded mumbled to his ears. All he could feel was Bakura's strong hand suffocating him to death, and imagined to himself that this was probably how Yami felt when he did the same to him. Tears formed in his eyes – whether it was from the pain or from the memory of the pharaoh, he wasn't sure.

And that was the moment when Joey Wheeler decided to avenge his lost loved ones.

With a swift and precise kick to the crotch, Joey was free and on top again. Bakura tried to resist, but Joey's determination overpowered him. His hands were bound with one of Joey's hands, while Joey's other hand held the knife dangerously close to Bakura's neck. Both were panting heavily, as if they had just run a marathon.

Regardless of being about an inch from his imminent doom, Bakura kept his confident grin on his face. He had manipulated this boy once, he could do it again.

"Go on, kill me," he spat, "slaughter me for the world to see. You wouldn't be doing anything other than further proving that you're a murderer." His face fell when he saw Joey's eyes hold firm in their fortitude.

"You couldn't be more wrong, Bakura." Without further hesitation, he slit his throat.

His friends watched in horror as Joey leapt off the dark spirit's bleeding corpse. He violently chucked the knife to the side, not caring where it would land.

"It's true that I'm a murderer. I killed my best friend without thinking; I let my anger for my sister's death control me, and now, Yami suffered a fate that he didn't deserve.

I can see now that I'm the one that betrayed _him_, but he didn't betray me. In fact, he was a true friend to me; he refused to fight me and he tried to save me from my inner darkness. I don't deserve a friend like him. And I will never have another like him.

But at least now, I don't have to worry about you causing similar hurt and pain to anyone else in the world. Now, I can start anew and pick up the pieces."

By the time Joey had finished his monologue, the atmosphere of the Shadow Realm faded away, leaving the group of silently sobbing teenagers standing in Yugi's living room once more, plus now three dead bodies on the floor.

Joey immediately turned to Yugi and the others. "Guys… I cannot possibly express how sorry I am. I deserve to rot in hell for what I've done. Just know… that I'm sorry."

Yugi gave him a cold glare, followed by a reluctant nod. But Joey wasn't surprised. Just as the most important person in the world had been taken from him, the most important person in Yugi's life was taken from him as well. From everyone. From the world.

He wouldn't be surprised if Yugi never forgave him.

The air was heavy with a mutual mourning silence, everyone's head bowed in respect for the lives that had been lost that night. Nothing would ever be the same.

THE END

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Sorry guys, this is where it ends. No happy ending here. Any requests for an epilogue on the aftermath? Or a happier story? Or yet another sad story? Personally, I think tragedies are much more intriguing to unravel. Holla at me.


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